‘Transpreneur 2026’ summit connects transgender entrepreneurs in Madurai

A transwoman sharing her business experience during the ‘Transpreneur 2026’ summit organised by Transgender Resource Centre in Madurai on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: R. ASHOK The Transgender Resource Centre (TRC), in collaboration with Startup TN, organised the ‘Transpreneur 2026’ summit on Wednesday to foster entrepreneurship within the transgender community through education and discussion.Priya Babu, Managing Trustee, TRC, said the meeting aimed to bring together nearly 50 transgender entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Tamil Nadu on a common platform to share their entrepreneurial journeys, dreams, challenges, business experiences and future plans.Through the event, she said, they believed to provide an opportunity for transgender entrepreneurs to share their business ideas, experiences and challenges, discuss opportunities for business growth and sustainability, develop and strengthen their business plans, build networks and collaborations with fellow entrepreneurs, and explore support, mentorship, digital marketing, e-commerce and market opportunities.Addressing the gathering, Startup TN Project Lead K. Sakthivel said empowering the neglected transgender community would provide them with a vital opportunity to rebuild their lives.“Startup TN, which routinely supports young entrepreneurs and enthusiasts starting with just an idea and determination, is eager to back transgender individuals who are ready to transform their lives,” he said.He added that these engagement meetings, currently held weekly, would soon expand to regional hubs such as Thoothukudi, Dindigul and Virudhunagar to attract more entrepreneurs.Gunavathy, a transgender entrepreneur who runs a beauty salon, shared her experiences of facing discrimination, noting that her high standards of excellence and perfectionism were often overshadowed by prejudice simply because she was a trans woman.“Even after reaching a level where I style actresses and celebrities, I still struggle to find full acceptance from a public that judges me beyond my professional work,” she said.“The energy I spend trying to gain social acceptance far outweighs the effort I put into marketing my actual work,” Ms. Gunavathy noted.Ammu, a transgender entrepreneur running a seafood eatery in Thoothukudi, highlighted her culinary expertise and business success.However, she pointed out that she frequently encountered silent rejections from banks and financial institutions when seeking loans for expansion.“While I would not place the blame entirely on them, this systemic hurdle is a shared reality for almost everyone in the transgender community,” she said.Echoing the struggles shared by others in her community, Ms. Priya Babu emphasised that enduring hardships while maintaining dignity over the long term was crucial for shifting societal perceptions.“While paying heed to societal pressure is not the priority, it remains essential to prove our own worth and demand recognition,” she said. Published - August 26, 2026 07:46 pm IST